A Darkened World
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Yu-Gi-Oh or Pokemon, so don't sue me! I'm not wealthy you know XD. On with the ficcy!
"...And that's about it," Grei finished, looking up as a small flock of Pidgey flew overhead. Everyone else looked up too and watched their flight. It was rare, nowadays, to find Pokemon still gentle. Even Pokemon that had Trainers had gone crazy, save a precious few whose ties was so strong that even the evil blanketing the world couldn't break the bond between them. Finally Tea looked to Aideno.
"And that prophecy...it means us doesn't it?"
"Some of you, yes. But not all."
"What...what will happen to everyone else?"
"I cannot say for sure. Fate has their path separate from our own."
Everyone looked about nervously. Seto gave a grunt.
"Personally I'm glad I'm not part of this little freedom fighter squad. I can handle things better on my own," he said coldly, shooting Yami and the others an even colder glare. "So I'm not very worried about it."
"Fate is often not so kind to those like yourself, young human," Aideno said, his expression betraying no emotion but his voice holding hidden menace. "You'd do well to care for your fellows."
"Fellows? Hah! I'm only with them because I don't have a choice."
"Really? Then leave."
Seto glared at Aideno, who simply stared back, his gaze unwavering. Finally, Seto couldn't stand to hold the Dragon's gaze and looked down.
"I'm here for Mokuba. He can't be alone with this group of weaklings."
"Then take him with you."
"I...can't..."
"Then quit being so cocky!" Grei growled. Seto jumped and Mokuba fidgeted. The others looked startled, except Aideno, who remained clam and collected, and Feria, who didn't even seem to be paying any attention to the whole conversation. "You don't understand it isn't just this group we'll be trying to defend. It'll be the entire of existence! If you don't care about THAT...then you don't deserve to even be alive."
Mokuba gave a tiny whine at that, and Seto tried to glare at the Anthro-Lycan, but those fierce, feral eyes bored into him and seemed to scan his very core of being. Unnerved, Seto looked away once more.
For a moment, there was silence. Everyone was thinking about Grei and Aideno's words, but mostly about Grei's. He had said that this was destined to happen, as humans kept destroying and taking what wasn't rightfully theirs, but all of Nature's. The buildup of negativity and evil feelings like hatred and fear had slowly started becoming a living beast. And now, it had reached its peak. The evil and negativity had become the darkness driving the Pokemon and people mad, and only some of them there could destroy it and set things right.
It wouldn't be an easy task.
First, they had to band together and learn of each other. Then they had to endure a grueling journey that would take a harsh toll on them all. Then, if they survived that, they had to combat the malevolence itself in its physical form. If that was accomplished, they then had to release the love and purity within themselves and all of the life on Earth to set things back to normal. Not easy at all.
"Well, I suppose we have to save the Earth again," Joey muttered. A few of the others nodded. "Why is it always us?"
"Fate has chosen you, us, for this. And Fate must have marked you all as Guardians as well, if you have born the burden of such a task before."
"Well, we're supposed to be getting to know each other," Grei said, winking at them. He stood, but suddenly his ears perked forward and his lips rose into a growl. His fur began to puff up and his tail twitched. Feria as at his side in an instant, locking gazes with the Anthro-Lycan and putting her hands on his chest. Everyone else stood as Aideno spoke softly.
"It is beginning."
Not a moment after, an explosion rocked the area. The group was knocked off its feet and a thick cloud of smoke and dust kicked up, making everyone cough and rub their eyes as debris got in them.
"What's going on?!" Tristan shouted as the smoke began to clear. Right away he was sorry he'd asked.
It was the Gyarados that had destroyed their home. Somehow, and for some reason, it had trailed them, and found them. But it wasn't alone. There was a Dragonite and a Nidoking as well, and both looked as cruel as the one leading them. Grei and the others all stared, shocked.
"What on Earth?!" Yami cried as the three Pokemon slowly began to approach. "It followed us and a Dragonite and a Nidoking are with it now as well!"
"The darkness calls them together," Feria said softly as her hair began to float around her in an eerie fashion. "It tells them to group up and attack us at once so they have a better chance of killing us. Others will come, are coming now."
Just as she said it, a Fearow screeched above them and swooped, going to land and perch on the Gyarados' head. A Zangoose came from a nearby woods and was soon joined by a band of three Charmeleon. The Pokemon were all growling deeply as advancing slowly, as if savoring the stalk, prolonging the thrill of the hunt to heighten the bloodlust of the kill. Their eyes had a coldly gleeful sheen to them. Yami narrowed his eyes and reached for his Duel Monsters deck, as did Yugi, Joey, and Seto.
"Eight of them," Seto muttered. "Alright, I'll take the Charmeleon and Zangoose. The rest of you can worry about the others."
He smirked and pulled a card from his deck, glancing at it and grinning. "And now it's time, to say hello to my ultimate beast! Go, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!!!" Seto held up the card and there was a brilliant flash. When it faded, a huge, blue-silver, three-headed Dragon was standing there. Yami and Yugi nodded, and Joey grinned.
"It's out turn! Go, Red Eyes!"
"Dark Magician!"
"Summoned Skull!"
There were three more flashes, and a large black Dragon, a young-looking man clad in purple robes and carrying a staff, and a large skeleton beast appeared. Grei laughed.
"And now us! Feria, you ready?"
"Of course!"
Feria suddenly vanished, only a faint specter in her place. The after-image floated to Grei and with a brief golden flash, Grei had golden fur that was spiked up.
"Time to party!" Grei said, and they could all hear both Grei and Feria's voices speaking as one.
"And I am here as well," said Aideno, creating a large ball of emerald flames that engulfed him. When it vanished, he was in the form of a large emerald Dragon, resembling the Red Eyes, only he was larger and had deep blue eyes.
The Pokemon hadn't attacked, but merely stopped their advance and watched, as if waiting for everyone to get ready. Seto scowled.
"Why aren't they attacking? Don't tell me they're afraid?"
"They are waiting, for a signal to attack," Aideno said.
"And looking for a weakness to take advantage of when they do," Grei added, Feria's voice ringing clear as he spoke. Yami narrowed his eyes as Seto growled.
"Well I'm not going to let them make the first move! Go Blue Eyes, attack them with all you got!" Blue Eyes roared and his three heads each took in a deep breath. Grei turned, his eyes widening as he saw a Charmeleon slip off, unnoticed by Seto or his Blue Eyes.
"Stop it you fool! STOP IT!!!" he cried, but it was too late. In the confusion that followed, the Charmeleon lunged under the Blue Eyes' attack, claws stretched forward. Seto was turning to give Grei a smart remark when he too saw the Charmeleon. He gave a yell of surprise and raised his arm as the Pokemon Slashed at him. Seto closed his eyes, awaiting the impact and the killing blow.
"CHAAAAAR!!!!"
Seto looked up to see the Charmeleon soaring through the air. It landed by its kin and didn't move. The other Pokemon all gave angry cries and began to ready attacks.
"FOOL!" Aideno bellowed at Seto, his eyes raging. "You are lucky to live! DO not make such an ignorant, not to mention senseless, decision again, or you will get us all killed!" With that he turned away and lunged forward to lock into combat with the Dragonite. Grei was attacking the Nidoking, grappling with it, while the Fearow and Zangoose were battling with Yami's Dark Magician. Yugi and Joey's Summoned Skull and Red Eyes were dealing with the other two Charmeleon. Seto watched, stunned, his heart hammering in his chest. Before he realized it, the battle was over. The Duel Monsters returned to their cards, except Seto's. Grei and Feria separated, Feria became solid once more, and Aideno reverted to his human form.
"Never, and I mean NEVER, endanger yourself and us like that again!" Grei roared as he towered over Seto. Blue Eyes growled and turned, angered at Grei's treatment of his Master. Grei ignored him and stalked off to check the others and the Pokemon. Seto placed a hand on Blue Eyes' leg, and the growling stopped.
"Seto...are you okay?" Mokuba asked softly. Worry shone in his eyes. Seto swallowed thickly, then nodded.
"I'm fine..." He weakly raised Blue Eyes' card, and the Dragon returned to it. Then he looked to the Charmeleon that had attacked him.
It almost got me...but that was dumb luck. I won't be taken by surprise again.
With that, he gave a silent snicker at the others.
I'll make sure I won't, but I can't say the same for those idiots...
There was barely a full two minutes of strained peace before suddenly the Gyarados stirred, then rose its head, growling. Yami and the others stepped forward, ready to battle again, but before they could make any other moves, a small purple Pokemon appeared. A red jewel flashed on its forehead as it materialized, becoming solid.
"An Espeon," muttered Solomon. "I wonder what it's doing...?" Just then, the Espeon went to the defeated group of Pokemon.
"ESPE!!!" it cried, and with a brilliant flash, all the Pokemon faded from view.
Later that night, the group was taking its casualties and fatalities into consideration. Three people were dead from stray attacks, and about five others were injured, with wounds varying from a scratch to a shredded arm that would never be able to be used again.
Yami was one of the injured. His left cheek had been laid open by the Fearow's beak and blood was streaming freely from it. He had a ragged, somewhat dirty folded cloth pressed against it, trying to staunch the bloodflow. A few others were burying the dead and the rest of the group was tending to the other injured.
After a few minutes, Yugi, Joey, and Tristan plopped down by Yami, covered in dirt and mud. They had been helping bury the dead, and were exhausted not just in body but mind as well. Yami looked to them.
"How are you?"
"Tired," Yugi muttered. "And filthy. I just want to eat something and sleep."
"Yea," Joey and Tristan said at the same time, looking just as gloomy as Yugi. Yami sighed and gently tugged the bloody rag from his face.
"Get some rest. I can keep first watch."
"With us too, you know," said Grei, walking from the shadows of the thick trees all around, followed by Feria and Aideno.
"Yes, you're all tired. It would do good for a few of us, more spry, beings to keep watch as well, in case you nod off," the DragonMaster added. Yami said nothing but stared aimlessly into one of the three bonfires they had burning bright.
"Sure," he finally said after a few minutes.
About an hour or two later, everyone was asleep, except for Feria, Grei, and Aideno. They were sitting around the last fire, the other two having been burned out after they had run out of firewood and voted on no one leaving to get more till the morning. The fire was on its last leg, and kept flickering madly as if any moment it might snuff itself as its fellows had. Grei was staring at the fire with a look that threatened not to accept such an idea, but the fire was defiant and sputtered at him. Grei snorted and looked up.
"If you're done trying to out-stare the fire, let us get to business," Aideno said. Grei snorted again and leaned back a little.
"Well, I didn't expect such a group effort. It's not the fact they worked together that gets me, it's that they did it seamlessly. Like it had been planned before."
"They did seem more focused and determined than most Pokemon seem to be," Feria agreed, looking to the three mounds of freshly-turned earth. "Much more..."
"Indeed, and then out of nowhere comes an Espeon that whisks them all away before we have a chance to finish them off," Aideno added. "It certainly is odd."
They were silent for a while, and finally Aideno spoke again.
"That isn't important though. What is important, is we know we will have to prepare for something similar to happen whenever we run into Pokemon anymore. We must be ready for such a choreographed attack, and thus be able to be more careful and mindful of our actions, which in turn will result in less injury and death to our party."
"But, some of them must die," said Feria. "All but the ones you marked with your prophecy. If they are present in the group, then what will become of it?"
"True that. But just because they are not to be part of the group does not mean they are going to die."
"It's not like they can go anywhere," Grei reminded him. Aideno sighed.
"Indeed."
"But we can't just let 'em die either. We gotta fight for everyone until their last breath is drawn," Grei added hastily when he saw Feria's sad expression. "We won't abandon anyone, if there is any hope they might be able to carry on and survive."
"Yes," Feria said, smiling a little.
Suddenly the fire gave its last feeble sputter and died out. A few embers glowed softly, as if changing their minds and wanting to return to their former glory. Grei sighed.
"Well, great," he muttered darkly. Feria smiled more.
"It's okay. The night is warm and quiet. We will hear any that approach. Let us be silent now, and think about what we have learned."
As they three of them became quiet, none noticed that a member of the group had been awake and during the whole conversation and had heard every single syllable of it. They didn't realize that he was racking his mind, thinking of a way to fit this into this brilliant plan to get rid of them all.
And they never knew when he pieced it all together, pieced together the ultimate reckoning, their final destiny.
They never knew Seto was going to betray them all.
I know this chapter is short, but what can I do? I'm a senior this year so I'm going to be very busy. Hopefully I'll get a computer this month and be able to work on this and my other fanfiction (A Vampire Hunter D one) more than I've been able to. Please be patient! I'll try and work on this story at least every other day, and I'll start again on my VHD one when I get my computer. Ahh, okay, don't forget to review and if you have any ideas or requests feel free to email me at (not the MSN one because I don't check it hardly at all) and let me know what's on your mind!